3 Mount Laurel, New Jersey nursing home patients dead after testing positive for COVID-19

MOUNT LAUREL, New Jersey (WPVI) -- Three patients of the Laurel Brook Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center died after testing positive for the coronavirus, officials said Thursday.

The residents were an 87-year-old woman, an 80-year-old man and an 85-year-old man, the Burlington County health director said. Two other patients and five employees have also tested positive for the virus.

"The safety and health of Laurel Brook residents and staff is our unitary concern. We are working closely with local and state health departments and taking guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) protocols to help contain further spread of the virus," officials said in a statement. "Of course, we are continually monitoring all Laurel Brook residents for COVID-19 symptoms along with daily employee screenings. We have a policy, that we will keep for the foreseeable future, for our staff members to stay home if they have any symptoms of respiratory illness, without regard to cause."

On Wednesday, Burlington County reported 10 additional cases of coronavirus, bringing the county total to 59.

President Donald Trump has approved a disaster declaration for New Jersey, paving the way for federal funding and assistance to the state for all areas impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In New Jersey, at least 62 people have died from the virus, and nearly 4,400 have tested positive.